Bob the Robber 3 Game

I quite liked the two Bob the Robber games. My only real complain about the first one was that it was much too short, comprising just five short levels. The second expanded on gameplay well in all areas except one – the way that knocking out guards worked harpooned its own stealth system. So what would I like to see should Bob return for a third time?

Risk and Consequences

As I alluded to in the intro, the major problem with Bob the Robber 2 was that knocking out a guard had no consequence, and it was an easy way to get past areas that should have provided more of a challenge. Remember, this is not supposed to be an action game, this is a stealthy puzzle platformer.

So chief of my suggestions is to rework how assaulting guards works. Ideally, I’d like to see the mechanic removed entirely. It would be a contrivance that’s easy to work into the story – Bob’s exploits have become somewhat famous and as a result guards now all wear protective helmets.

Not only would this remove the easy way out that the mechanic provided in the second game, but it would also further push the game’s core strengths – stealth and puzzles.

In Bob the Robber 2, the way that guards would just wake up and act like nothing had happened trivialised the difficulty and cheapened the overall experience.

A Change of Scene

The first two games had a similar story and environments. The third one could do with a complete change. Either spin the story around and have Bob attempting to escape from a prison (with each objective being a key card, disguise or handy object), or perhaps something a little more exotic could be considered – Bob has been hired to steal a priceless painting from an Italian crime lord’s mansion, for example.

This would allow Meow Beast to flex their muscles when it comes to creating different looks with their own art style, and also introduce a new environment to their catalogue of impressive works.

Don’t Change Too Much

Bob the Robber is a series that has frustrated me because both games have almost been impossible to fault. That’s quite an achievement for free, Flash based games.

Another 10 levels would be about right, especially if they retain the complexity and challenge of the first game.

The gadgets should remain, but I’d consider removing the mini games for lock picking and tampering with electrical boxes, as they quickly became tedious in the second game and felt like nothing more than time fillers that detracted from the main experience.

New Platforms

There are a few games on Android and iOS that are clearly based on the success of Bob the Robber. It would be a shame if they were to take all the success that Meow Beast have earned, so I’d like to see the third game make it onto mobile platforms.

Whether they offer it for free or as a low cost game, a game adhering to the principles and overall quality of the first two would do well – they should just be careful to avoid the dreaded trap of unfair microtransactions that so many mobile games fall into.

Wrapping Up

Meow Beast were so close with both Bob the Robber games. I’m sure they could deliver one of the most compelling free gaming experiences within the genre if they gave it a third try. All they’d need to do is refocus on the stealth aspect of the first game and ensure that the level design strikes the same balance between complexity and quantity of the second.